I’m very selective when it comes to books for my eldest daughter. I don’t only want them to be age-appropriate – I also want to make sure they are easy to read and understand, that they hold a valuable lesson, and that they encourage her to ask questions or investigate further about something she found interesting.
As I gave birth recently, she has been very curious about pregnancy and everything related to motherhood, so this book became a perfect bonding and learning opportunity to share with her.
When You Lived in My Belly, by Jodi Meltzer Darter, is a kid-friendly description of the milestones babies reach in utero, along with physical and emotional changes experienced by moms. The combination of the author’s beautiful rhymes with the illustrations done by Caryn King and Jody King Camarra created a real masterpiece.
But, as this book was not meant for me, I put it to the real test and read it to one of the most judgmental and critical audiences I know: my eight-year-old. I have to say that she loved the book.
Even though English is not her native language, she was able to understand the book fully, which I consider a great success for the author. She asked questions about my own experience and also compared the illustrations of the book with sonograms that I saved from both my pregnancies.
I have to say that the book is PERFECT. I enjoyed the cadence of the sentences, the choice of words, and how every stage of the pregnancy is so well described and yet so easy to understand. I loved the experience of reading it to my daughter and have to confess that I even got a bit emotional at the end. I completely recommend this book.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.
